Harpers Bazaar - Bazaar Art Prize 2016
MEMORY OF MAMAN'S MAGICAL MACHINE
Assemblage Sculpture and ink drawing on paper
Group exhibition: Harpers Bazaar - Bazaar Art Prize, Scotts Square Foyer, February 2017
Assemblage Sculpture and ink drawing on paper
Group exhibition: Harpers Bazaar - Bazaar Art Prize, Scotts Square Foyer, February 2017
This year's theme, 'Fashion Meets Art' evoked my earliest memories of fashion and art.
Growing up, my mother's dress pattern books and my paper dolls with their extensive wardrobe provided me endless hours of delight. These were my introduction to fashion. My mother, a former beauty queen and model was always highly fashionable. A talented seamstress, as well, she made the designs in her pattern books fly off the pages to adorn not only herself but my sister and me, too. And whatever ensemble my mother fashioned for us were most certainly accompanied with matching accessories. Her creativity was contagious; I followed suit, designing even more clothes for my paper dolls. My mother's style together with her dress pattern books and my paper dolls definitely contributed to the development of my sense of aesthetics.
As a painter, the female form has often inspired my work. Its mercurial aspect intrigues me; one moment it presents itself in a particular way and the next, it is something quite different: strong yet gentle, seductive then nurturing, shy but daring, vulnerable and equally intimidating...
Wondering what happens when fashion meets art, I decided to merge my influences in both disciplines. And so, I arrived at this artwork!
At 75, my mother still retains her je nais se quoi. In my artwork, I pay tribute to her, her dress pattern books and my childhood paper doll collection. They taught me about colour, line and shape, the very basis of both the fashion and art world.
Description Of Artwork
I chose to work in 3D as I felt it could fully capture all the nostalgia that I wished to convey.
I integrated a sewing machine as my mother's sewing machine was essential to the inspiration of this artwork.
I incorporated light for its surreal effect which is in keeping with the remembrance of all the beautiful clothes that magically flowed out from my mother's sewing machine as she worked at it with passion and grace. Here the lights are also symbolic of this memory being ignited.
The figure drawing expresses my delight in portraying the female form. It is reminiscent of my paper dolls and the depictions of female models in my mother's dress pattern books and fashion magazines.
White dominates the scene as it gives the artwork a dreamy appeal, like childlike imagination where logic is defied. Also, it lends a purity that surrounds this childhood memory.
I used pattern paper as my support for its obvious connection to sewing and fashion.
The cutouts of paper doll clothes recall women's fashion through the ages and were made from antiquated design paper in pastel hues to give a sense of the past while evoking the innocence of my girlhood impressions of fashion.
I chose to work in 3D as I felt it could fully capture all the nostalgia that I wished to convey.
I integrated a sewing machine as my mother's sewing machine was essential to the inspiration of this artwork.
I incorporated light for its surreal effect which is in keeping with the remembrance of all the beautiful clothes that magically flowed out from my mother's sewing machine as she worked at it with passion and grace. Here the lights are also symbolic of this memory being ignited.
The figure drawing expresses my delight in portraying the female form. It is reminiscent of my paper dolls and the depictions of female models in my mother's dress pattern books and fashion magazines.
White dominates the scene as it gives the artwork a dreamy appeal, like childlike imagination where logic is defied. Also, it lends a purity that surrounds this childhood memory.
I used pattern paper as my support for its obvious connection to sewing and fashion.
The cutouts of paper doll clothes recall women's fashion through the ages and were made from antiquated design paper in pastel hues to give a sense of the past while evoking the innocence of my girlhood impressions of fashion.